


The Certainties Of Life

by artemisscribe



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Brotherly Banter, Brotherly Bonding, picking on little bro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-26
Updated: 2016-11-26
Packaged: 2018-09-02 06:09:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8653762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemisscribe/pseuds/artemisscribe
Summary: Alan tries to figure out some complicated feelings. His family are less than sympathetic.





	

The Tracy family never appreciates their island life more than on slow work weeks. They’re fast approaching their second afternoon completely call free and an unseasonal heat-wave has coaxed even John down to the poolside for some well-earned laziness. As the person with the fewest chances to use it John has claimed the battered old hammock slung between two palms on a shaded part of the terrace, one leg hanging over the edge to keep it rocking ever so slightly in the thick, still heat. Alan is curled up in one of the garden chairs with a videogame which he has long since abandoned to stare out at the pool where Scott is lolling on an inflatable lilo and Gordon has finally tired of laps and is floating aimlessly using one of his training floats as a pillow. And on the opposite side of the pool, full in the sunshine are Virgil and Kayo, him on a sun lounger, her on her stomach on the warm poolside tiles reading a battered paperback and shutting out the rest of the world with huge soundproof headphones.

Virgil is almost drifting off on the sun lounge when Alan speaks,  
“So... Lady Penelope...”  
And suddenly any drowsiness is gone from Virgil’s mind because this is going to be interesting,  
“Uh oh,” he murmurs to himself at the same time as John, Scott and Gordon all groan in unison.  
“What?” Alan demands, blushing bright pink,  
“You were the last innocent member of this family!” Scott cries in mock-grief  
“I didn’t even say anything!” Alan replies  
“And while a lot of words would have come out of your mouth you would continued to have said nothing” John says from the hammock, eyes still closed, looking to all the world as if he is asleep,  
“But the _meaning_ of your whole lot of nothing would be ‘I think I have a crush on Lady Penelope’” Virgil says  
“And the short version of this conversation is yes, you do have a crush on Lady Penelope.” Gordon adds.  
“No I don’t!” Alan whines, looking increasingly embarrassed as he tries to slump down in his chair beside the pool.  
“Yes you do,” Scott says, sitting up on his lilo and pushing his sunglasses up on top of his forehead, “Everybody does. It’d be weird if you didn’t.”  
“I do not!” Alan insists again with far less conviction,  
“It’s a law of nature,” John says, “Like gravity.”  
“ _You_ don’t” Alan says accusingly,  
“Yeah he does,” Scott says, “We all do. _Everybody_ does.”

Alan looks sceptically between his eldest two brothers, half certain that this is some elaborate trick. He glances over to Virgil, for some sort of sign or support, perhaps to tell the others to knock it off; he’s going to be disappointed,  
“There are three certainties in life Alan,” he says, “Death, taxes, and the desperate longing for Penelope Creighton-Ward to like you.”  
“Except we don’t pay taxes” John points out  
“You’re not helping” Gordon tells him.  
“I’m not trying to help, I’m trying to nap and up my Vitamin D intake” John grumbles.

Alan still looks suspicious so Virgil decides to settle the matter once and for all. He leans over to wiggle one of Kayo’s toes to grab her attention from her book and her music. She drops her headphones down around her neck and glances round at them all,  
“Hmmm?” she asks,  
“Kayo, would you date Lady Penelope?” he asks,  
“Of course,” she says shrugging casually, and Alan’s eyebrows shoot up almost as fast as his jaw drops, “She’s the perfect woman.”  
“ _See!_ ” Gordon tells Alan, but his little brother barely hears him, his brain has gotten caught on a different train of thought.  
“Hang on a sec,” Alan says to Kayo, “Isn’t that a little unfair on yourself?”

This isn’t really the turn anyone was expecting the conversation to take, Scott laughs so hard he nearly falls off his lilo.  
“Yes!” he says, utterly delighted, “You are absolutely my brother, _right question_.”  
Kayo just smiles and shakes her head,  
“I _am_ a woman and I _am_ perfect” she concedes, “But Penelope is the archetype of the perfect woman. Is it a sexist archetype? Somewhat yes, but only superficially, I take comfort in knowing that where it counts Penny and I are more alike than people realise.”  
“Genius level intellect, sexy accent, could kick my ass and I’d thank her for the privilege” Scott lists off to himself, “Yep, all where it counts.”  
Kayo rolls her eyes and grabs a grape from the bowl beside her to throw at Scott, hitting him square between the eyes.  
“Ow!” he says,  
“It was a _grape_ you baby!” Kayo says,  
“Felt like a grapefruit.”  
Kayo grins and looks back up at Virgil, the closest brother to the table. He grins back and grabs the fruit bowl,  
“ _That_ can be arranged.”


End file.
